PRINCETON-BY-THE-SEA — Frustrations are mounting among crab fishermen at Pillar Point Harbor, as out-of-state crabbers continue to ply Bay Area waters for Dungeness crab.

Four boats, believed to be from Oregon and Washington, unloaded their hauls of crab Monday and Tuesday at Monterey and Santa Cruz harbors and headed back out to trap a second load, harbor officials and fishermen said.

“It’s really unfortunate that a handful of guys who are not even from this state are taking advantage” of a temporary agreement among local fishermen not to bring in the crabs, said Duncan MacLean, president of the Half Moon Bay Fisherman’s Association.

Fishermen in San Francisco, Half Moon Bay and Bodega Bay have declined to fish until the California Department of Fish and Game confirms the crabs were not contaminated by a Nov. 7 oil spill in San Francisco Bay.

Following an executive order by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Department of Fish and Game established a no-fishing zone Nov. 14 in San Francisco Bay and within three miles of shore from south of Point Reyes to just north of Half Moon Bay. Though Half Moon Bay fishermen could go crabbing and return to harbor without passing through the no-fishing zone, they have closed ranks with San Francisco and Bodega Bay fishermen and declined to fish until the state’s test results come in next week.

But the out-of-state fishermen have proceeded to fish. Anthony Campos, a foreman for Royal Seafood in Monterey, said his crew unloaded three boats — two on Monday and one on Tuesday — carrying a total of about 150,000 pounds of Dungeness crab.

Campos said the crabs are perfectly safe, since they were trapped more than 30 miles off the coast, far from the no-fishing zone.

Campos said the boats’ crews bought some groceries and motored back out for a second round of fishing. He said local crabbers who are upset at their out-of-state rivals are simply engaged in a turf battle.

“Everybody’s got the right to make a living,” said Campos, adding that the crabs were shipped to buyers in Canada, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Some buyers in San Francisco and Half Moon Bay have declined to buy the crabs.

MacLean said the northern crabbers are thwarting the governor’s goal of protecting consumers from tainted crab.

“Every day that goes by here, the frustration builds more and more, because it makes less and less sense,” MacLean said.

Said Campos, “The crabs are excellent, good-sized crabs. They’re heavy (and) they’ve got a lot of meat in them. I had some for dinner last night.”

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